Join our Flavors of Rochester Book Club

Being passionate about food isn't just about what happens in the kitchen or at the table. It's also about reading the stories that explain how food happens.

With best-sellers such as The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, it's clear that food literature is an exploding genre.

That's why we're launching a book club with a very deliberate and delicious focus: food (and drink) literature.

The Flavors of Rochester Book Club kicks off with an award-winning book about our own region. Summer in a Glass: The Coming of Age of Winemaking in the Finger Lakes features the behind-the-scenes stories at Anthony Road Winery, Ravines Wine Cellars, MacGregor and other vineyards.

You may already be familiar with its author, Evan Dawson, morning anchor for WHAM-TV (Channel 13). He also is the managing editor of the New York Cork Report wine blog. Dawson's debut book, which was first published in 2011 (the paperback and update will hit book­stands this spring), was named International Wine Book of the Year at the Louis Roederer Wine Writing Awards this past fall.

Bookmark Jan. 17 on your calendar for a discussion and reception with Dawson, hosted by the book club at Memorial Art Gallery. He'll share the backstory of the book and sign copies.

But you don't have to wait until then to talk about the book. We've launched a group page for the book club on Facebook. We will have more details about the Jan. 17 event soon. Stay tuned and start reading Summer in a Glass.